


Sharing Sorrow

by Okami01



Series: Seteth Week 2020 [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Gen, Headcanon, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Time Skip, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:40:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25137817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okami01/pseuds/Okami01
Summary: Seteth has been acting out of sorts as of late. Byleth decides to try and help. Prompt - Loss
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth & Seteth
Series: Seteth Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819522
Kudos: 15
Collections: Seteth Week Fics





	Sharing Sorrow

Byleth watched Seteth for the better half of an hour. Rifling through papers, frowning, creases forming on his forehead that haven't receded since he'd first started working. Byleth tried to take care of things as much as she could. She didn't know exactly what it was that Seteth and Rhea did all day but it was certainly stressing the both of them out immensely. 

Seteth left half dried up writing quills around, crumpled up paper all over the place. His gaze was oftentimes serious. Save for the times when he looked at Flayn or attempted to soothe lost war orphans. Then there was the way that he looked when he was angry, scolding, and terrifying, almost feral in the heat of battle. But he looked spacy at the cathedral this morning and the couple mornings before it, distant. He's stern and sort of naturally pushes others away. Half the time, Byleth wasn't really sure. She liked him anyway.

Byleth was hardly a good judge of human interaction. But the fact that she could tell at all was probably a problem. Then there was also the fact that Sothis yelled in her mind to, " Help that poor overworked priest. For he does seem very much out of sorts lately." 

Byleth could do without the ringing in her head. She cares about Seteth. He's only recently started to treat her as if she isn't a potential threat to the church. She thinks that he's nice to her now, in his own way. Even though he seems well Byleth worries. She thinks that's something that friends should do. As Sothis said, " He's prickly, like a cactus, with flowers that only bloom for his sister. Err… daughter..." To which Byleth asked, " I didn't know those plants had flowers?" 

Sothis told her that it was not the point at all. Byleth wanted to avoid anymore yelling. As well as the sinking feeling that something was horribly wrong. She came towards his office. Where she could see through the door that he was staring angrily at a document on the table.  
A tray of tea and snacks in her hand. That always seems to help others. Food and tea. It works well with her students and usually, she can solve their problems. 

She knocked on the door. He didn't move. She knocked again and then finally called his name. 

Seteth sighed and turned in Byleth's direction. There were new flowers on his desk. 

" How long have you been standing there?" He asked while standing up. Moving towards the door. His eyes widening, " Apologizes. Do you need some, Professor?"

He blinks and his eyes look red. She shakes her head. He looks down at the tray and scowls a little. " If that is for me, I appreciate the effort but I must decline. I really need to get back to work."

" Is there something you can do?"

" I need to get back to work," Seteth repeats flatly. Before adding, " You're doing fine work as well. It's just… there's more lately. More work."

Byleth doesn't move. She doesn't know that there's more work so much as Seteth seems to be having problems doing the work. 

" Take this tea with you if you get hungry." She says instead. 

" I cannot grow sleepy now." He looks off into the distance and Byleth is sure now that something is wrong. 

" You can still eat."   
Finally, he takes the tray from her stepping out of the office and quickly back inside. He looks at her and sighs again before moving out the way. " Thank you. Come in for a bit then."

_____

Seteth doesn't know what he should say really. He fears that if he does not keep his mind focused on something then, he'll fall asleep or his mind will start to wander. Then things will only get worse. He knows Byleth is just trying to help, but it would be better if he could just work through all of this on his own. Things only get worse when he thinks about them lately. 

Unfortunately, Byleth isn't leaving. She sits down in a chair, pours him a cup of his favorite tea, and pushes a little plate of cookies over his way. 

She's being very nice, and he doesn't want to be rude to her. She's only trying to help. But no one can help him at the moment. 

Of course, for some reason, she says, " I can help you with your work. I don't know a lot about any of the religious stuff… not really. But I know enough about the territories." She rummages around in her coat pockets which have always seemed like they hold way too many things. " Also, I found this." She slides one of his quills across the table. Drinks some tea and waits. For what exactly, he doesn't know. 

" Thank you, " he says and he manages something that isn't a smile but not a frown at least. Seteth has barely smiled at all this month. How could he be losing his focus so much that he's losing his writing implements? 

Seteth quickly decides, if he tells her surely she'll understand. It's the quickest way to get back to work. 

It would be better if he could forget such things. That wasn't true. He didn't want to forget. 

" Recently was… the anniversary of my wife's passing."

Rhea had asked him if he wanted time off. They couldn't afford that. Now or ever. Seteth needed to get himself together. It had been a long time since her passing. Flayn was still here, and she'd be extremely worried and saddened if she knew how he was acting. 

He needed to pull himself together. This conduct wasn't going to get him anywhere. It was better to reminisce then flounder in sorrow. Yet for some reason, he couldn't help it. 

Byleth frowned. She wasn't very expressive. But he could tell that she was sad.

" Is there anything I can do? I think… I could do some of your work. Maybe Rhea could-"

" No. Sorry. But no. I do not need any help." 

Perhaps Seteth was being unnecessarily stubborn. Apparently so was Byleth. " You should eat something and rest for an hour, then I'll leave."

He looked at her, frowning. Trying not to glare. She looked right back at him.

" One hour?"

" I'd ask for more, but it's a start at least."

" You do not need to watch me sleep, Professor."

Byleth shakes her head. " I saw you about to fall asleep in your office yesterday…. I think that I do." 

He crosses his arms. " Fine. I appreciate your concern. Please wake me in an hour then."

Seteth drinks the tea, which he isn't sure if it's actually delicious or he hasn't had tea in a while.

Somehow. On the sort of uncomfortable chair. In the middle of the day for that matter. His eyes are heavy and he yawns. Byleth stares at him intensely, then pretends not to, looking down at some of her students' homework that she must need to grade. Eventually, somehow, he falls asleep. For some reason, he doesn't have any nightmares. 

It's a dreamless sleep, but it's restful. When Seteth wakes, there's not sunlight trickling through the window, but the light of the moon instead. He sighs. Byleth looks in his direction and then away, an expression that seems to indicate guilt. 

" I tried to wake you," She says. He doesn't know how true that is. Still. He decides to take her at her word. Strangely, even though he was skeptical of her at first, Byleth has become someone that he likes. That he trusts. 

" I'm not close with a lot of people," she continues. " If you want to talk about it, I can listen." 

He smiles at her suggestion and she smiles back. He doesn't talk much about his wife, of the past at all. For fear of rousing suspension as to who he and Flayn really are.   
Byleth already knows, she helped rout the bandits that tried to lay waste to the coast. 

" Thank you. I appreciate it. I know that you are good at that. It's… nice to have someone to listen." He stumbles over his words for some reason. 

Seteth thinks to himself a lot. Both good and bad things. He is not entirely used to having someone actively listen to him just for the sake of it. It's surprising and it really is a comfort. 

He isn't sure what to say at the moment, but the silence in the room isn't terrible. They sit like that for a while, Seteth notices his eyes are wet with tears. And yet, Byleth doesn't mention it. 

" Thank you," he repeats. 

She nods and smiles. 

" Do you want…. to get back to work?"

He laughs, " I do…. However, you do not need to stay. I won't overwork myself this time." It feels strange to promise this. 

Seteth stands, walks over to the desk and picks up a piece of paper. It's all about new tax ordinances. He feels tired all over again. 

Byleth stares at him before saying, " I want to stay." 

"Oh? Thank you."

She shakes her head. " It is not a problem."

They sit closer together and she's stopped grading papers in favor of sharpening a sword.

And after a few minutes, unprompted, Seteth speaks. " I miss her," he says. Even though that's fairly obvious. 

Byleth nods. 

" I can usually think of good things about her. She was beautiful and kind. Flayn has inherited those traits, I believe. She saw the best in people all the time… When I couldn't…" Still can't sometimes.

" She loved water, beaches, and rivers. Splashing around. Fishing though she was more observant, better at actually catching things. Better at cooking then I am too. Most times, I was just the lucky recipient of her efforts."

Seteth had recently started to enjoy fishing because it reminded him of her. Yet, even though she was gone, he wondered if she'd be happy to know he was getting better.

He had a long way to go. 

He sighs. " Things just… get worse when I think about her passing… It's been a long time…" Centuries really " But… it still… hurts."

Byleth nods her head again.   
" She'd be happy that you remember her. Byleth replies simply. Then, after a moment of looking up into the sky, she says, 

"The bad stuff might have happened in the end… but the good is what you treasure the most. I think. " 

Seteth nods. Perhaps he's picking up on the professor's mannerisms. 

" I think so too."

. Yet, he has to admit that he feels better. They go back to work. Byleth pats Seteth's shoulder in a manner that he thinks is supposed to be comforting. He appreciates the gesture. Strange as it all is.  
They work for a few more hours, Seteth sighs yet again. At some point, Byleth stands up and turns off the lights. Watches him until he gets up. They go back to his room and he practically falls into bed. When he sleeps again, he doesn't have nightmares this time either.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Seteth Week! Thanks for reading! I don't know a lot about Seteth or anything in his past but I love him  
> @Tavitay on Twitter


End file.
